


Don't Fear The Reaper

by LadyBugs90



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Afterlife, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/F, Hospitals, Mundane Afterlife (TvTropes)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-08-28 20:19:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8461582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyBugs90/pseuds/LadyBugs90
Summary: Blake has been in and out of the hospital since she was a young girl, but one day she meets a certain girl that'll change her life forever... In a matter of speaking.





	1. Don't Fear The Reaper, Pt 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, my first ever published fic. (Long live the Ladybug!)
> 
> I've sprinkled some references and homages throughout, some obvious, some less so. Can you find them all?

It didn’t matter how many times over the years Blake had been in and out of treatment for her leukaemia, she would never get used to that aching numbness in her body. The symptoms had first began to appear four years ago, at a tender age of thirteen. The doctors had been as perplexed as her parents as to why such a young girl would be diagnosed with such a serious affliction – they had tracked her family’s genes several generations back, and not one had the genetic disposition for this type of cancer. Blake couldn’t recall any “radiological hazardous encounters” either as the doctors had asked the frightened young girl. Years later, seventeen-year-old Blake Belladonna had long since accepted her lot in life. She didn’t even miss her long, raven hair all that much anymore – heck, she barely even remembered what it was like _having_ hair on her head. With that dull, throbbing sensation echoing throughout her body as she moved, she looked around her hospital room for something to at least amuse her for a short while. The gray walls of the room was almost barren, with only two paintings on the wall; a yellow bowl of fruit and a portrait of an old woman, smiling warmly down at the young woman in the hospital bed. Blake turned her attention to the television and (with a struggle to reach the remote on her bedside table) turned it on and flipped through the channels. _Nothing on of interest. Great._

Easing back down into her pillow once more, she noticed movement outside her room as a small figure in a red hoodie sat down on the wooden bench just outside Blake’s room. She observed the person as the young girl picked up a small gaming device from her backpack, adjusted the hood of her shirt for a few seconds and then started to play. Blake watched her for a few minutes as the girl seemed fully absorbed into her game. Suddenly Blake realised that every so often the girl’s eyes would flit up to meet her gaze, only to return to the miniature screen just as quickly. _Aren’t you the shy one… then again, I’m probably being a bit creepy staring at you like this…_

Blake reluctantly looked away from her new entertainment and started counting tiles in the ceiling for probably the millionth time this week alone. After a few minutes had passed, Blake thought it safe to sneak a peek at the girl again. To her immense disappointment, the young girl shut off her game and stuffed it into her bag as she rose from her bench. She had barely disappeared from Blake’s field of view before she came back and stood in Blake’s doorframe, muttering to herself.

“Chrissakes guys, couldn’t you send out that call _before_ I was almost out the door…” As she stepped through, she smiled warmly towards the older girl in the bed before her.

“Hey. Blake Belladonna, right?” Blake blinked in shock.

“… How did you know my name? Who _are_ you?” The girl smiled as she held up her game and pointed to it.

“I got a call from HQ about you just as I was entering the lift down to the main hall.”

“That’s a gaming console.” Now it was the strange girls turn to blink in confusion as she looked at the device in her hand.

“Huh. So it is. Guess I forgot to change to my work clothes in my hurry to get back to you.” The girl awkwardly scooted over to Blake’s bedside table and put her game down on it. Stepping back a step, she began to brush her hands all over her clothes as they shimmered and changed. Gone was the red hoodie and the blue Jeans, replaced with a billowing red hooded cape over a black and red gothic Lolita-style ensemble. Picking up her game again, the decidedly not normal girl pushed the thumb sticks up twice, down twice, left-right twice and finished by pressing the BACK and ACTIVATE buttons before casually flipping it in her hand as it transformed into a large metal scythe. Blake stared with her mouth slightly open.

“I’d like to wake up now, thanks.” The strange girl frowned sadly.

“I’m sorry Blake. I really am.” She flashed Blake a warm smile. “But think of it like this – you won’t feel any more pain now.” Blake continued to suspiciously regard the girl at her bedside.

“So you’re telling me you’re the Grim Reaper here to collect me.”

“I’m not _The_ Reaper, I’m _a_ Reaper. Reaper Cadet Ruby Rose, scythe number 140368, at your service.” The Reaper Cadet bowed deeply as she introduced herself.

“It’s nice to meet you ‘Cadet Rose’, but I’m not feeling like I’m dying right now.” Ruby pouted slightly before speaking again.

“Look, Blake… I’m sorry, but my DiePod app shows me that you’re going to die today.” Blake cocked an eyebrow.

“Your what now?” 

“DiePod app. Here, see?” Ruby flipped a panel open on her scythe and held it so Blake could read.

“’Blake Belladonna, October 12 2380 – June 6 2397’. Well _that’s_ depressing.” Blake locked eyes with Ruby, a concerned look on her face.

“Will… Will it hurt? Dying?”

“Easier than falling asleep. Quicker, too. All I do is make a quick incision to separate your soul from your body, and it’s a done deal.” Blake took a deep breath (or as deep as her pain-riddled body would allow her, which was not saying much) and closed her eyes. Slightly cracking her eyes open, she glanced at Ruby.

“I suppose it’s too late to ask for a fully-fledged Reaper over a Cadet?”

“’Fraid so. Relax, I’ve got two years’ experience with this line of work.” Blake cocked an eyebrow at her again.

“And you are _how old_ , exactly?”

“Fifteen.”

“ _Fifteen?!_ Yeah, I’d like a new Reaper, please.” Ruby pouted as she replied.

“In _Reaper years_ , yeah. And that’s like-” she counted on her fingers as she muttered to herself. “1500 mortal years!”

“So you’ve been a Cadet for the past 200 years? Not helping your case here, Cadet Rose. But if it makes you happy, sure. I’ll die for you.” Ruby shone up as she grabbed hold of her scythe again.

“Thank you, Blake! Now hold still while I do this…” She brought her scythe’s blade down towards Blake’s ribcage before halting.

“Oh right, I should probably hold your hand so your spirit doesn’t drift of somewhere once you’re separated ‘cause I forgot about that last time and then I had to file a _huge_ amount of paperwork and I don’t even know why I’m telling you this can someone please make me stop talking.” Blake carefully reached out to grab hold of Ruby’s free hand. Meeting her grateful smile with one of her own, Ruby brought the scythe down.

 

 _DEEEEEEEEEE_ -*


	2. Don't Fear The Reaper, Pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake gets a speedrun of her new "life".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for some extensive worldbuilding. Thanks to /u/TokyoFoxtrot and /u/vavoysh for helping me with starting.

“GAH! Cold!”

Blake bolted upright with a yelp in her hospital bed from the sudden cold sensation.

“That was one _weird_ dream… A cute reaper girl coming for me? Yeah _rig_ -eh?” She suddenly realised someone was holding her left hand in a warm embrace. Blake looked up at the other hand’s owner and was met with the gaze of two silver eyes, belonging to the girl in her dream.

“Sorry to break it to you, but you weren’t dreaming. Oh, and that cold feeling? Your soul isn’t used to being outside your body, so there’s no body heat to keep it warm. Might wanna be careful when getting out of this bed too, I’d wager a _dust bunny_ weighs more than you do now.” Blake looked down at her hands as she lifted them into view. Her physical hands hadn’t moved at all, so she was left staring in shock at shimmery, translucent apparitions. Ruby leaned into her field of view to get her attention.

“Want help getting out of that bed, or can you manage on your own? We can’t hang around here all day, you’ve got places to be and people to meet!” Blake looked at the smiling Reaper Cadet with a wry grin.

“What, in the _afterlife_?”

“In a manner of speaking, sure!” Ruby answered matter-of-factly. Just as Blake swung out her ghost tail (that was _weird_ thinking about it) over the edge of the bed, a team of doctors came rushing in to attempt a resuscitation. Blake bolted off the edge of the bed in surprise as she attempted not to get pushed over by the doctors, and suddenly found herself flying into the air at an alarming speed. Had it not been for Ruby quickly grabbing her arm, Blake was sure she would’ve flung herself into (through? Intangibility was a common ghost trope after all) the wall of her room.

“Told you you don’t have as much weight as you used to. Be careful with how you move and you’ll be all right.” Ruby gave Blake a once-over.

“It’s a shame what cancer does to the body. You had gorgeous hair.” Blake blinked in confusion.

“… Eh?” Ruby chuckled.

“Your spirit isn’t affected by your body, so while your physical body was bald and thin, your ghost retains that pretty mane of hair and that body physi-..” Ruby suddenly averted her gaze, silently chuckling behind a hand. Blake however, did not notice the Reaper Cadet’s flustered antics. What she did notice however, was that indeed she was no longer bald. She happily ran her astral fingers through her shimmery hair, feeling an odd, tingly sensation as the strands flowed over her fingers.

“By the way… Can’t the doctors see us?” Blake asked her Reaper as she just remembered they were there too.

“Oh, they can.” Blake looked at Ruby in her black-and-red gothic Lolita ensemble with the red cloak and the huge scythe sceptically.

“Won’t that be a problem though?” Ruby smiled reassuringly at her charge.

“Nope. I did this nifty little trick with the doorframe as I walked in here the first time – remind me to undo that as we leave by the way – so while they can see and hear me, I don’t register in their minds. I could jump in your bed and flash them my underwear and they wouldn’t bat an eye and I don’t know why I said that and we should just get going ehehehe...” Ruby quickly and quietly converted her scythe back to its game station form and reapplied the glamour on her clothing, once again dressing her in a red hoodie, black jeans and white sneakers.  As Blake floated up behind her as they walked out the door, she saw Ruby giving the doorframe a quick rub on each side of the doorframe.

“There, that should do it. The effect will wear off in a few minutes, and by then we’ll be halfway to where you’re supposed to be.” Stepping out on the hospital car park, Ruby made her way to the bus stop and got on. Making her way all the way to the back of the bus, she sat down with Blake hovering over her shoulder as she plucked out her game station again. Blake looked at the small screen as Ruby jumped over rolling barrels in a sidescroller, occasionally killing the odd mook attacking her character. After passing two stops, she once again tucked away her game and gestured discreetly for Blake to follow her as she got off the bus in front of a large office building. Stepping inside with Blake, Ruby inserted her gaming station into a slot in the wall.

“There, you’re all checked in. Now you just have to wait for someone to take you further.” Blake glanced from the slot in the wall to the device in Ruby’s hand.

“What do you mean?”

“I just registered you as a successful reaping. That means once I unplugged my device from the system, some higher-ups started to weigh in your life’s deeds to see if you end up in heaven or hell.”

“… Oh. Okay.” Ruby perked up, hoisting a finger in an ‘aha!’ pose.

“Waiting around here seems kinda boring though. Wanna go have a sightseeing tour around my workspace?”

“Doesn’t seem to be any books around here, so I don’t see why not? Lead the way.” Ruby gestured down a hallway and Blake obediently followed her until they stopped in the doorway of a large room with a kitchen, a few tables and a sofa.

“Okay, so this is the lunchroom. It’s where you go if you’re feeling hungry or just peckish in general…” Blake raised an amused eyebrow as Ruby just realised what she had done.

“I mean, _obviously_ that’s what you do in a lunchroom. God I can’t believe I just told you something that obvious. And speaking of ‘peckish’…” Ruby bolted into the room and opened a cabinet, returning to Blake with a large chocolate chip cookie in her mouth.

“Right then. Down there are the restrooms-” Ruby pointed down to another corridor.

“- and this way is the heart of our entire operation.” Ruby stepped up to a double door and pushed them open, Blake still following her every move intently. Inside was a large array of office cubicles, each with one occupant. Walking up to one, Ruby peered in and greeted the worker.

“Heya Nep! I’m showing a friend around, mind telling us what it is you do to keep me afloat?” The young man spun around in his office chair, his blue-dyed hair swaying a bit from the motion.

“Uh, well… I receive my orders onscreen from our boss. Basic stuff really – name, location, time of death and so on. I take that info and correlate it with the map to see which reaper to assign the job to.” Neptune grinned apologetically at Ruby before continuing.

“Sadly, that sometimes mean a Reaper have to haul ass across town if there’s no one close enough that’s free. So yeah, that’s basically it.” Ruby smiled as she said goodbye To Neptune and went on her way, half-dragging Blake along.

“Neptune actually reminded me there’s a place I really need to show you!” Ruby stopped in front of an oak door and knocked.

“Come in?” said a female voice from behind the door. Ruby wasted no time as she opened the door and pulled Blake in with her.

“Hey Boss, just showing a friend around HQ, thought no visit would be complete without saying hello to you.” The room was fairly spacious, with a large oak desk facing the door Blake and Ruby had just came in through. The Chief Reaper sat in an elaborate chair behind it, her face half-obscured under her white cloak as she steeped her fingers in front of her face.

“And would this friend, _Cadet Rose_ , happen to be the reaped soul you logged thirty minutes ago?” Blake couldn’t help but think this fearsome woman somehow felt familiar to her as she peeked out at the cloaked reaper from behind Ruby’s back.

“… Yes?”

“Well then, you have thirty seconds to explain yourself before I let the angels in to pick her up, young lady.” Ruby grabbed at the fringes of her hood and pulled it down hard over her eyes in embarrassment.

“Oh my God, _mooom_!” It felt as if Blake had been hit by a ten-ton truck. Of _course_. _Now_ she saw it. Ruby Rose was the spitting image of her mother. If Blake still would have had feet she could’ve kicked herself for not noticing sooner. Suddenly she felt the Chief Reaper’s gaze upon her, and she instinctively froze.

“Hello Blake, I am Chief Reaper Summer Rose, Cadet Rose’s mother. Sorry for any trouble she’s caused you.” Blake held up her hands and shook her head apologetically.

“No no no, it’s fine. No harm done. I rather enjoyed my tour of this place. In fa-” Blake never got to finish as the door swung open and two girls entered. The shorter of the two, a white-haired girl with a side ponytail and icy blue eyes marched up to Blake, pointing at her with an outstretched arm.

“ _THERE_ she is! Blake Belladonna, you are to come with us!” Summer held up a hand, halting the newcomer in her steps.

“Now now, let’s not be rude. I do believe Miss Belladonna was about to say something when you interrupted. Go on, sweetie.” Summer gave Blake a reassuring smile, indicating for her to continue.

“Well, if it’d be all right with you Chief Reaper Rose… I would like to apply for a job in Dispatch.” Blake could almost feel three pairs of eyes popping at her. Summer merely continued to smile.

“How much experience do you have with call centre work?”  Blake swallowed before steeling herself.

“None, but the program seemed simple enough and I’m a fast learner, ma’am.” Summer regarded the spirit for a second before leaning back in her chair to open a drawer in her desk.

“I can’t see any reason why not. Sign here please.” She handed Blake a parchment from the drawer and indicated a line at the bottom.

“Oh, you’ll need a pen obviously.” Summer nonchalantly held out her right arm towards a large cabinet at the far wall. The doors swung open and a large, ivory scythe shot out, landing in Summer’s palm with a smack. Not missing a beat, she swiped her thumb across the shaft and the scythe folded into itself, forming an ornate reservoir pen that she handed to Blake.

“…Use mine.” Suddenly the white-haired girl made her presence known again.

“This is an _outrage!_ This soul belongs to the Heavenly Host!”

“With all due respect Miss Schnee, she does _not_. Your boss made _me_ the sole authority of Death in this world, and until a soul is formally handed over, it falls under _my_ jurisdiction to do with it as _I_ please.” The white-haired girl stomped in the ground in anger before turning on her heel and storming out. Her colleague, a tall blonde girl, awkwardly put her hands behind her head and smiled nervously.

“Well, that went… well… I’ll go talk to her. Bye Rubes, Summer.”

“Bye Yang.” Yang waved to Ruby and Summer in turn before turning around and jogging after her white-haired colleague.

Once again alone, Summer turned back to Blake.

“You will report back here at 08:30 tomorrow morning for further orientation. Ruby, be a dear and take her to Doctor Polendina for a new body? I’ll call ahead so he’s ready for you.”

“Sure thing mom… I mean, ma’am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am literally posting this at 11PM. Yes, it's a workday tomorrow.


	3. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake regains corporeality in an artificial body, Ruby remains oblivious to her own feelings for Blake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for tardiness, got sidetracked by an intense case of Writer's Block midway through writing.

It was with a measure of apprehension Blake allowed herself to float closer to the closet-like doorframe of the large machine taking up a large percentage of Doctor Polendina’s workshop. The short man was turned away from the spirit, tinkering away with one of his many pet projects. Ruby was currently studying a side panel on the large machine Blake was in front of, intently observing the numbers scrolling by on the small screen. Professor Polendina muttered something into his thick, white beard as he turned away from his workbench to face his guests.

“Well then, shall we get started? Miss Belladonna, if you could be so kind and get in position?” The diminutive man hobbled up beside Blake and opened the door for her to get inside the machine. As he walked back to the controls, he saw his patient through the observation window float up into a large, cylindrical device. The professor keyed the mic.

“Now please stretch out your arms straight out and splay your digits. I am starting the scanner.” When Blake did as instructed at her position in the middle of the circle, two arms lined with tiny lasers emerged on opposite sides of her body and started to orbit around her.

“Two more rounds, hold steady!” The arms stopped and receded back into their spaces. Blake looked up at Professor Polendina and Ruby for further instructions. Ruby smiled back at her while the professor pushed a button that made a door next to Blake open.

“Now then, that should be enough time for the materials to solidify. Please proceed to the next room and take hold your new body’s hands.” As Blake entered the next room, she was met by… herself? Or at least it _looked_ like herself, a perfect match down to the tiniest detail. Her new body was suspended in a large mould facing the door in an otherwise barren room. Floating up to the body, Blake let her astral hands float over the hands of her new form for a moment before swiftly moving them down towards their goal. Instead of floating through them however, her hands found purchase on the backs of her hands. As she opened her eyes, she could swear she saw her spirit for a split second. Stepping out of her mould, she stretched her legs and wiggled her toes.

“… And here I was getting used to the tail. Good to be back though.” She didn’t have much more time to marvel at her newfound corporeality before Ruby came in over the loudspeakers.

“Looks good from here! I made you some clothes, they’re behind that panel over there and you should put them on not that I’m not enjoying the view but clothes would be good and why am I still talking I’m just gonna be quiet now…” As Blake moved over to the indicated compartment she gave a short wave of her hand over her shoulder.

After having dressed herself and walked back out to the professor and Ruby, Blake followed the young Reaper cadet out of the workshop.

“Oh, I just remembered.” Blake nearly walked into Ruby as the shorter girl abruptly stopped in her tracks, rummaging wildly through her dress pockets.

“… Here. These are for you.” Ruby finally found what she was looking for as she handed over a spectacles case to Blake, who looked at it with a wry smile.

“I appreciate the gift Ruby, but there’s nothing wrong with my eyesight.” Ruby looked between Blake and the case in her hands a few times before she realised what it might have looked like she was implying.

“Oh no. No no _no!_ I didn’t mean it like _that_ , Blake! They’re purely cosmetical!”

“… Why would I need cosmetical glasses? That makes even less sense.”

“Well, to be honest there’s a trick to them. Remember when I reaped you? When I did that trick with the doorframe?” Blake crossed her arms over her chest with an inquisitive look.

”… Yes?” Ruby gently stepped towards Blake, laying her hands on top of the elongated case in the taller girl’s hands. Gently prying the lid open, she looked up into Blake’s eyes.

“These glasses work on a similar level, but more personal. If you wore these, you could walk up to your parents at your funeral and they wouldn’t even register it was you.”

Blake regarded the rectangular, frameless glasses as an idea started to form in her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That foreshadowing cliffhanger though.
> 
> Once again, sorry I'm late. I'll try to stick to schedule from here on out.


	4. Hello Operator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake learns a thing or two, both about her work duties and her colleagues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actually a bit early this time, just to offset last chapter's tardiness.

Blake tapped away at her keyboard under the watchful eyes of her mentor, a young, black-haired man by the name of Lie Ren. Despite his silent nature, Blake almost always caught on when she had committed an error in her work – a sidelong glance here, a small sigh there, invariably followed by a calming smile and a laconic explanation on what she had done wrong and how to not fall into the same pitfall twice.

“See here? Click that.” He indicated a checkbox in Blake’s program settings which Blake dutifully clicked, and was rewarded by a small, green circle around her cursor whenever she brought it over the town map. Blake’s eyebrows furrowed as she regarded the new feature.

“What does it do?” To answer her question, Ren reached over and held down the shift button on Blake’s keyboard.

“Try scrolling the mouse wheel.” As Blake did so, the circle increased and decreased in diameter, and a small, digital timer appeared in the upper right “corner” of it.

“That’s how fast you should be able to have a Reaper on site where your cursor is.” Ren turned and looked at Blake.

“Obviously we can’t go in a straight line to our destination, so the time is just an approximation.”

“Heh. Got it.”

“It’s a bit of a ‘training wheels’ feature, so not many will openly admit to using it.” Blake glanced back at the circle again.

“… I see. Guess I’ll be able to eyeball it given enough experience.”

Fifteen minutes later the hour-long lesson was over, and as Blake walked out the door towards the lunchroom she stretched her arms into the air and let out a big yawn. Suddenly she heard footsteps approaching from behind.

“I take it Ren’s lecture went swimmingly?” Blake turned to face the other person as she replied.

“Yes Ru-” Her words caught in her throat as she saw the white cloak.

“Oh? Are we really that alike appearance-wise? I don’t know if I should be flattered to be mistaken for my own daughter or irked over it.” Summer glanced at the rapidly paling face of her latest recruit.

“Oh stop it, you’re not in trouble!” She wiped a tear of mirth away before continuing.

“I was going for a cup of coffee. Want to join me?” Blake nodded her head rapidly.

“Yes yes coffee sounds great thank you.”

“Well then, lead the way.”

As they sat down at a table with their fresh cups of coffee, Summer looked up at Blake.

“So as you may have noticed Ruby has a rather obvious cru-uh-pup- _pup_ , let me _finish_.” She held up a finger as Blake was about to argue.

“She has a crush on you. I’d be a rather lousy mom if I let that slip past me.” She reached over and put her left hand on Blake’s right.

“What I want to know is… do you feel the same for her?” Blake thought back to when she and Ruby had first met. She had thought Ruby was cute then, didn’t she?

“I can tell by your flushed cheeks and vacant stare I hit the nail on the head. I told Him I’d make just as fine a Love goddess as a Reaper…” Summer whispered that last part mostly to herself as she idly stirred her coffee with a spoon.

“So… gonna make something of it? Can’t guarantee there will be perks to dating the Boss’s daughter. In fact, rather the opposite. Can’t be playing favourites after all.” Blake blinked.

“But according to the handbook a cadet should only be allowed in the field with a veteran Re-” She froze mid-sentence as Summer focused on her with a friendly look.

“What was that now? I didn’t quite catch that.”

“Uh… Eh… Nothing, ma’am.” Summer continued to smile calmly.

“Didn’t think so. I’ll see you at the end of the week to evaluate your first few days on the job.” And with that, the Chief Reaper rose from her side of the table and left Blake to ponder what she had learned.

She would never cross Summer Rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh, she "rose". 
> 
> Now I shall begin plotting for the upcoming mid-season finale that is chapter 6. Chapter 5 before that though.


	5. I'll Be Missing You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kali Belladonna encounters some of her daughter's friends during the funeral service.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE CHAPTER WHAT. 
> 
> Gonna take a short break over Christmas, so I'm trying to align chapter 6 for next week for the halfway mark.

When Kali Belladonna woke, she was already crying.

And why wouldn’t she?

Today she was burying her only child, after all.

As she rolled over in her bed, she came face to face with Ghira, her husband of 20 years who gingerly caressed his wife’s cheek with a sad smile. Rising from the bed, she helped Ghira sort out his clothes for the funeral and gently ushered him to the shower as she made her own preparations picking out her own clothes. Suddenly she was embraced from behind by Ghira who had finished showering and already put on his funeral-wear. He leaned in to whisper in his wife’s ear.

“Shower’s free, honey.” Kali just turned into his embrace and sobbed.

“I just miss her _so much_ …” Ghira caressed her back tenderly.

“Me too, sweetie. Me too.” After she had finished showering and slipping into her black dress, Kali and Ghira stepped outside their apartment and headed for their deep blue Volvo. As she moved to open the front passenger door, Kali remembered with a mix of sad fondness how Blake had hated this car when they first had bought it from the shop. She eventually shook free from her memories and sat down in her seat. After an agonising ten-minute ride spent in silence they had arrived at the local church where they were greeted by friends and family. Kali spent most of the time answering people with mumbled words and the occasional hug.

“Poor thing, still in shock…”

“ _George!_ She lost her daughter five days ago! Be nice!”

Kali payed the two no heed as she shuffled along in the crowd towards the one spot she felt like she needed to be.

The black-lacquered coffin stood to one side of the large room, adorned by a wreath of roses and an old portrait photo of Blake – the last photo of Kali’s daughter with her natural mane of hair. She gently held out her right hand, caressing the cheek of her daughter’s portrait as the tears slowly rolled down hr own cheeks.

“You’re Blake’s mother, right?” Kali flinched slightly in surprise as someone called out to her. When she turned around to address whomever had spoken, she was greeted by a short black-haired girl with red highlights and a taller, equally black-haired, bespectacled girl.

“Hi, I am Ruby Rose and this is B-”

“… Bree. We were friends with Blake online, and we heard she had passed so we came to pay our respects.” The two young girls walked up beside Kali and each put a single, red rose on the coffin lid in front of the portrait.

“Thank you for coming girls… I’m sure she would’ve been happy about you coming.”

“I’m certain of it.” Bree leaned in to hug the now openly crying older woman, and Ruby hugged them both from the other side.

* * *

 

“So… did you enjoy your funeral?” Ruby carefully asked Blake as they made their way back to HQ.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to ‘enjoy’ funerals…” Blake gave Ruby a wry smile, who shied away a bit at the look.

“… But it was nice to see mom and dad one last time. See just how much they really cared for me.”

“They really loved you, didn’t they?” Blake tilted her head upwards as she tried to hold in her tears.

“Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you ever wanted to go to your own funeral?


	6. The End Of The World As We Know It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Blake deal with the aftermath of the funeral, Blake poses an interesting question for Ruby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, so much for "back on schedule" xD

Blake spent most of the following week in a daze.

Ruby had been trying to give her friend some space, but seeing her in this state was really trying times for the novice Reaper. She understood that the sudden realisation that if _she_ was dead in her parents’ world, her parents were equally just as dead in _hers_ had hit Blake as soon as they had left her funeral, and she had understandably not taken it very well.

“Blake, come on… Get up… Blake, you can’t just wallow in bed all day, I promised mom I’d get you to work on time in exchange for the visit to your funeral…” Ruby pleaded with Blake as she attempted to drag the taller girl out of the bed in her temporary lodging. Blake just groaned as she lay limp in her friend’s arms. After having pulled at her arms for a few minutes more, Ruby finally got enough traction to pull Blake free from the sheets, landing the two girls in a heap on the floor beside the bed.

“… Ouch. You okay there, Blake? You’re kind of… _gngh_ … heavy.” Ruby’s only answer were the soft snores of the girl currently pinning her to the floor.

“… typical.”

* * *

 

After having extricated herself from under Blake, Ruby had spent the rest of the morning preparing her charge for work. She had pretty much been forced to spoon feed Blake her breakfast after showering and changing her into fresh, clean clothes ( _I’m not looking, I’m not looking la la laa…_ )

When Blake had finished breakfast, Ruby took one of Blake’s arms and put it over her own shoulder to support the other girl as she rose from the chair and made their way to the front door.

“Watch the threshold, Blake… right foot first... All right, now the left… good. Watch the step…”

“Mhrghblgh…”

“I know, but I promised mom you’d show up.” Arriving at Reaper HQ, Ruby pushed the main entrance door open with one hand, the other half-dragging Blake after her. Stepping into the foyer with her precious cargo, Ruby saw her mother sitting and waiting for her.

“I appreciate your dedication Ruby, but I was going to put Blake up to independent work today… She cannot do that in her condition. She will have one more day with Ren.” The Chief Reaper walked up to the two girls and picked up the former mortal in her arms.

“I’ll take it from here, you get out there and wait for assignments.” Ruby snapped a salute as she replied.

“Yes, ma’am!” Summer just smiled at her daughter’s antics as she disappeared around the corner.

* * *

 

“Feeling better now?” Ruby glanced across their shared table in the coffee shop at Blake.

“Yeah. Still have this huge, gaping _hole_ in my heart where my parents used to be though…” Blake wiped a single tear off her cheek before taking another sip of her coffee. Ruby frowned.

“Blake… as long as you keep them in your thoughts, your parents will always be there for you… and, well… death may be the end of one journey, but it’s also the start of a brand new one. You’ll see your parents again one day, I promise you.”

“Thanks, Ruby…” Blake idly stirred the spoon in her coffee. As she took a sip she glanced over at her friend over the edge of her cup. Setting it down again on the table, Blake drew a deep breath.

“Hey Ruby?”

“… Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“You just did, silly.”

“Ha ha, very funny. But seriously.” Ruby looked back at Blake, chuckling at her successful joke.

“Sure. Shoot.”

“Well, your mom seems to think you have a crush on me… do you?”

Ruby froze on the spot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cue end credits* 
> 
> How about that cliffhanger for the midseason finale, huh? :P


	7. What Is Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby's drinking, Blake is drinking. Only difference is chosen drink and drinking buddy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back after christmas hiatus, and we start right where we left off! Whoever said life after death would be easy?

“Well, your mom seems to think you have a crush on me… do you?”

The words of her friend hung echoing in the air as every function of Ruby’s body ground to a halt for a moment, both mental and physical. Without a word, she got up from her seat and wobbled out of the coffee shop, leaving a dumbfounded Blake alone.

* * *

 

A week passed with Blake only occasionally glimpsing Ruby in the halls of Reaper HQ, and whenever she made an attempt to make contact with her friend, Ruby would claim that she “Wasn’t up for socialising at the moment”, “I’m on an urgent errand for Mo-… Chief” or there was “so much paperwork she needed to do” before just as quickly disappearing into the crowd of reapers. Blake was getting more and more worried that she had upset her first and only real friend in this new life of hers.

She was sitting in the office break room sipping on a fresh cup of latte when she heard a voice from behind, making her twitch in her chair involuntarily.

“So… how did it go?” Summer walked up to Blake’s table in the almost deserted break room and sat herself don on the opposite side, facing Blake with a curious expression on her face.

“Well, she walked out on me and has been avoiding me ever since.” Blake put her latte down after another sip. Summer closed her eyes and leaned into the palms of her hands as she leaned her elbows on the table.

“Ugh… sorry about dropping this all on you. Should’ve seen this coming. Ruby’s never been great dealing with abrupt changes.” Blake regarded the older woman for a few moments before replying.

“What’s done is done. You’re not the one solely at fault here. Had I known what her response would be I’d have never brought it up.” Summer rose to her feet and walked over to the coffee machine to punch in her order. Seconds later she returned with her cappuccino and sat down at her chair again.

“So she does love you.”

“That’s a bit unclear at the moment, but… _probably?_ ”

“… and how do _you_ feel about _her?_ ” Blake hesitated for a moment at the question.

“I… think she’s cute. I could spend hours looking at her smiling and laughing and just being… herself. I’d say I love her, yes.” Blake blushed a bit at the smug look Summer gave her.

“Can I call ‘em or can I call ‘em. It’s rather obvious you both care for each other as more than friends. Come on, let’s go see if we can find her somewhere so we can sort all this out.” Summer patted Blake on the shoulder friendly as they both rose to dispose of their cups into the dishwasher and walked out of the break room.

* * *

 

“Do I really love her?”

Ruby sat by the bar desk, idly swirling the emerald contents of her rock glass as her thoughts raced around in her head. She thought back to the time when she had first seen Blake, weak in a hospital bed. Ruby had only been there to be ready for any possible assignment, and it had only been pure chance her eyes had drifted away from her game device to meet the gaze of the prettiest cancer patient she had ever seen. Keeping track of her game had only become harder after that first glance, and she’d decided to change floor in fear of further distractions before her next assignment had literally forced her to go talk to the girl.

“Egh, listen to me go… ‘prettiest cancer patient I’ve ever seen’… who ever says that kind of thing…” Ruby downed her third Absolut Kiwi cocktail and grumbled, idly tracing the pattern in the wooden bar desk with her index finger. She could hear familiar footsteps walking up to her seat from behind, but she paid the visitor only a small token of recognition as her guest sat down beside her.

“Bartender! A refill for my friend here, on me. And I’ll have a strawberry sunrise, no ice. Oh, and one of those little umbrellas.” Yang Xiao Long put her left hand on Ruby’s shoulder as she addressed her with a friendly smile.

“Now, what’s so urgent you have to drag me out here to the Crosshare’s Pub on a moment’s notice?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder fo those who forgot (or haven't read Please Give Me Wings yet - and if not, it's time you did) - in this AU, there is no blood relation between Ruby and Yang, even if they are pretty much acting like sisters anyways.


	8. I Kissed A Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake and Summer look for Ruby downtown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought we were sticking with Ruby and Yang? THINK AGAIN.

They spent most of the rest of the day searching. First they thoroughly searched Reaper HQ from top to bottom, only to come up with nothing and decide trying downtown. Blake found the older woman strangely reassuring as they walked down a busy street, looking into the windows of every store, coffee shop and bistro they passed in search of the young Reaper.

“Oh!” Blake’s head almost spun off her neck from the speed as she turned her attention towards Summer.

“… There’s a sale on this handbag!” Blake frowned.

“Ma’am, we’re looking for a missing employee of yours… whom also happen to be _your daughter_. Please, show some attention for the mission at hand?”

“… Okay. Fair point.” Summer sighed as she took note of where the store was and when the sale would be over.

“… We should try to find every store that sells cookies here, Ruby used to _love_ cookies when she was younger.”

“It’s as good a lead as any. Let’s go.”

* * *

 

After yet another extensive excursion into one of Vale’s myriad of bakeries, confection shops and sweets boutiques (seriously how many does _one town_ need?) Blake and Summer had sat down on a bench in the sun, as they all but admitted defeat. Blake groaned.

“We’ve looked _everywhere_ …” Summer sighed in agreement as she looked around the plaza, before her eyes came to rest on a videogame store. She immediately perked up, lightly batting at Blake with the back of her hand and pointing.

“… Maybe not everywhere… Come on, let’s check that game store!”

The two women bounced up from their seats and made their way to the store across the plaza. Entering the building, they were surprised how bright the lights were, despite just coming in from the sun. Making their way up to the cashier, Blake rung the bell.

A minute later, a black-haired man emerged from the back office.

“Welcome to Tukson’s Gamestop, home to every video and PC game under the sun. I am Tukson. What can I help you with?” Blake cleared her throat before speaking.

“Actually… we’re not here for games. We’re looking for my friend-” Summer leaned in over Blake’s shoulder, smiling her warmest smile.

“- my daughter. About yay tall, looks a lot like me?” Summer waved her hand palm-down at shoulder level. Tukson looked Summer over intently before speaking.

“Ah yes, Miss Rose. She’s one of my regulars. Though she hasn’t been in for a while now…” Tukson dove back under the desk and came back up with a plastic bag with a game in it.

“If you find her, tell her that her copy of-“ He looked down at the shipping manifest, then locked eyes with Summer without missing a beat.

“… ‘Love♡Warrior V: Soldier of Justice’ arrived in the mail yesterday.” Summers eyes widened a bit.

“How… how much did it cost?”

“320 Lien.”

“Was it… hhrmm… paid for in advance?” Tukson keyed his computer, furrowing his brow.

“… Not that I can see. You intend to pay for her?”

“Well, I _am_ her mother, and we’ll surely find her soon enough… might as well give her a gift.” Summer picked up her credit card and swiped it in the machine before keying in her code.

Waving goodbye to the store owner, Blake and Summer once again stepped out on the street. Summer turned to Blake with a huge grin on her face.

“Dust, what a ridiculous set of sideburns he had!” Blake burst into laughter at the comment.

“I _know!_ I honestly thought one of us were going to have to comment about it sooner or later!”

* * *

 

They were about to seek some shade when they were interrupted by loud shouting.

“BLAAAAAAAKE!” Ruby came rushing up to them, throwing herself in Blake’s arms.

“I’m so sorry I walked out on you like that I swear I’ll never do it again and yes yes yes I do love you like that will you please forgive me?” Suddenly Ruby surprised Blake by kissing her straight on the lips. She backed up a bit, making Ruby break contact with a sad expression.

“You… don’t like-like me back? It’s okay, I understa-” She never finished her sentence as Blake kissed her back without a word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> D'aww.


	9. Kiss From A Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby gets a pep-talk from her almost-sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, look at that. An unresolved cliffhanger. Let's do something about that, yeah?

“So Blake – the same Blake you reaped and Summer then stole from under mine and Weiss’s noses – asked you if you loved her in _that_ way…” Ruby downed yet another Absolut Kiwi.

“Yyyyep.”

“To which you just got up and walked out on her.”

“Yyyyep.”

“You _do_ realise that can be taken in the very worst of ways, yeah?”

“Yyyyep.”

“… _Do_ you love her in that way?” Ruby made a motion as if to call for another refill, but Yang grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm down, eliciting an amused grin from the bartender, an older female demi-human with rabbit ears and long, flowing auburn hair. Yang merely shot her an annoyed glare, indicating the other woman’s rabbit ears and briefly flashing her Angel badge. The rabbit ears immediately disappeared as the bartender recoiled and turned around, minding her own business. Ruby looked to the wooden ceiling, deep in thought.

“Yes… No… I don’t know…?” Yang smiled at her friend and almost-sister.

“Picture her for your mind’s eye. What do you see?” Ruby closed her eyes and thought of Blake.

“I see… a good friend. A great listener. When she walks into the room I can’t help but focus on her. When she laughs… God, when she laughs… it’s like the sun shines down on nothing but her in the whole world. Whenever we hug before parting ways for the day, I feel like I never wanna let go ever again. It feels like if a part of me goes missi-… Oh. _OH_.”

“Exactly. ‘Bout time the other shoe dropped for you. You love her.”

“Yes. Yes I do.” Ruby felt the butterflies in her stomach as she confirmed her feelings. Smiling impishly, she turned to Yang.

“ _So_ … how’s things going with Weiss?”

* * *

 

_Weiss held Yang’s arm in an iron grip as they entered the small diner. Yang was desperately trying to keep equal footing with her diminutive partner, but somehow the shorter of the two angels were racing way ahead of her towards an U-shaped booth in the far back of the diner._

_“Sit.” She indicated one end of the sofa, and Yang obligingly sat down while Weiss sat opposite her in the other end._

_“We need to talk.” Weiss locked eyes with Yang sternly as she spoke._

_“About…?”_

_“Your blatant flirtatious demeanour is distracting me when I’m out there trying to do our jobs. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that you feel that way about me… but when it gets in the way of you doing your part - that, I cannot allow to continue.” Weiss reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Hitting a few icons, she showed the displayed text document to Yang._

_“See this? This is my request for a transfer. I will give you two days – 48 hours – to learn how to act professionally in the field. If you can’t manage that, we will be reassigned new partners.” Yang’s reaction to the ultimatum was instantaneous. Where normally her mere presence would fill out their booth on her end, making it feel much more cramped than it really was, she now shrank in on herself from the shock so much that the booth felt like it could take twice as many people as it really could._

_“I’ll do anything.”_

* * *

 

“They’re going… great.” Yang winced at the memory, and Ruby wisely chose to not press the issue further.

Suddenly Yang’s phone went off with the latest tune of Yang’s favourite rock band. Looking up caller ID, Yang smiled a pained half-smile as she hit the answer button.

“Heeey, Weiss! What’s up? Oh? Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes!” Hanging up, she turned to Ruby.

“Sorry, gotta run. There’s been a house fire downtown and a body’s been found. There’s a weird, low-whispering voice allegedly heard around it, so we’ve been alerted to the case. Qrow’s on his way too. Go get your girl, Rubes. She’s waiting for you.” And with that, Yang hugged her, paid the bartender and walked out.

* * *

 

She had taken to wandering the streets, still digesting her newfound feelings when she saw two familiar figures making their way over the plaza in downtown Vale.

“BLAAAAAAAKE!” Ruby shouted as she ran up to her friend and her mother, throwing herself in Blake’s arms.

“I’m so sorry I walked out on you like that I swear I’ll never do it again and yes yes yes I do love you like that will you please forgive me?” As if acting on pure instinct, Ruby suddenly lunged in and kissed Blake straight on the lips. Blake recoiled a bit, making Ruby break contact with a sad expression. _She doesn’t feel the same for me after all? I suppose it’s okay, at least I got to kiss her once…_

“You… don’t like-like me back? It’s okay, I understa-” Blake surprised her by leaning back in and kissing her back.

Ruby’s life was bliss.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I've been itching to write more Freezerburn. Took an opportunity with a flashback. Basically, Weiss is a stickler for doing things "by the book" while Yang's more "adapt to the situation at hand at any cost". Also Yang's not wasting any opportunity she gets flirting with Weiss, to Weiss's annoyance.
> 
> I know I should give them their promised spinoff already, but I still can't find a good, fitting song name to label it with. I've got several ideas for individual chapter titles and their content, but that's about it. 
> 
> Velvet got spooked by the Angel because the Crosshare's Pub is a Pub that also serves regular mortals, and neither of the two owners of the pub is very strict about keeping the supernatural part of their lives secret.  
> Basically, she was caught in the act by an off-duty cop and quickly stepped back in line with established mortal/supernatural rules.


	10. Our Love Is Here To Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our lovely protagonists get some much-needed alone-time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the tardiness, suffered a bit from writer's block.

Ruby’s life was miserable.

Blake had been her official girlfriend for all of three days, yet the two had barely seen each other in that time. Whenever Ruby had free time, Blake was up to her elbows in cases to delegate, and whenever Blake was free, Ruby was halfway across town on assignment. There had been the occasional meet in the break room, sure, but Ruby was positively _starving_ for Blake.

_Well, at least Blake’s training wheels are officially off now…_

Ruby wandered the corridors of the city hospital, occasionally distracting herself by glancing at patients’ charts or listening in on doctors’ discussing treatments. Once her DiePod app buzzed, she dutifully reaped the old, sleeping man she had been assigned and got his spirit back to HQ. Once the balding, squinty-eyed man had taken his seat waiting to be picked up for the next journey, Ruby walked into the break room for some much needed chocolate chip cookie refuelling. Retrieving a handful of the brown ambrosia, Ruby turned around, looking for a seat to devour her precious cargo. Her world seemed to become a lot brighter as she saw Blake sitting by a table with empty seats available. Racing over she sat down next to the love of her life… across from her own mother.

“Hi sweetie! So nice to see you two together like this again! Oh, don’t mind me, I’m just gonna sit here and enjoy the fruits of my labour…”

“ _Mom!_ Jeez!” Blake reached over and grabbed hold of Ruby’s hand.

“Actually Ruby, I and the chief were negotiating some time off for the two of us in the near future…” Ruby looked from Blake to Summer before clearing her throat.

“This coming weekend. My place. We will not be seen until Monday, at the very least.” Summer put a balled fist under her chin, looking directly at her daughter with an exaggerated serious face.

“You drive a hard bargain, my daughter. Very well. The weekend is yours.”

“… Do I get a say in this?” Blake chimed in.

“… Nope!” Mother and daughter cheerily replied.

* * *

 

Ruby practically exploded out of her bed Saturday morning. She ate her breakfast in record time, brushed her teeth until the gleam could practically be seen from low orbit, and when the doorbell rang she had pretty much thrown herself in Blake’s arms as the front door opened.

“Hi Ruby. It’s a nice place you’ve got here. Hope you don’t mind if I bought some snacks and a movie?”

“That’s _perfect_ , Blake! What movie did you get?” Ruby tried to peek down into Blake’s plastic bag from the DVD store, but Blake withdrew her hand.

“It’s called ‘Meet Joe Black’. I think you’ll like it.” She chuckled at Ruby’s pouting response to her teasing.

The two women made their way to the small kitchen next to the TV room and started to prepare for the evening – picking out appropriate bowls for the crisps and candy, putting the drinks in the fridge and so on. As Blake was surveying the small living quarters of her girlfriend, she noticed something up on a shelf.

“Hey, Ruby – is that a chess set I see?”

“Yeah… I used to play with mom when I was a few centuries younger… haven’t had much time with it as of late though…”

“Wanna play for a bit?”

“Sure.” Ruby flashed Blake a competitive grin.

“Prepare to get your butt kicked, Belladonna!”

* * *

 

“Checkmate.” Blake moved her Black Rook in front of Ruby’s King, blocking her last escape route.

“I… I _lost?_ ” Ruby blinked in shock at the sudden developments, before fixing her girlfriend with a pouting glare.

“You said you had never played before!” Blake smiled back smugly.

“I said nothing of the sort. You assumed I hadn’t played before, and I didn’t feel the need to discourage you from that notion.”

“Meh. Boring game anyways. Wanna grab some snacks and watch the movie?”

“I’ll get the snacks.”

* * *

 

“… That was surprisingly accurate on how I feel sometimes, in regards to what I do.”

“Yeah, I figured you’d like this movie. As a little girl with cancer, I always hoped death would be as gentle when he or she finally came for me.” She looked over at Ruby, sitting next to her in the sofa in front of the television.

“… And she was.” Ruby smiled and leaned her head against Blake’s shoulder, followed by Blake leaning against Ruby’s head.

“Goodnight Ruby.”

“Goodnight Blake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Lullaby, and good night, in the skies stars are bright.  
>  May the moon's silvery beams bring you sweet dreams.  
> Close your eyes now and rest, may these hours be blessed.  
> 'Til the sky's bright with dawn, when you wake with a yawn._


	11. Love Me Tender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their Weekend Vacation continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit shorter chapter today, ran out of ideas. So sorry.

When Ruby awoke, it was with an unfamiliar, yet not all that unwelcome feeling. Blinking her eyes awake, she noted that no, this was not her bedroom. In fact, it looked remarkably like her TV room.

_Great, fell asleep by the telly aga-… huh?_

Shifting about on the sofa, Ruby realised that whatever she had been using as pillow was, in fact, not inanimate. Turning her head upwards from her prone position on the sofa, she discovered that Blake had fallen asleep with her after the movie, and Ruby had slid down from resting her head on Blake’s shoulder, and was now using Blake’s lap as a pillow. Gently pulling herself up from her impromptu lap pillow session, Ruby glanced at the clock.

09:46, Sunday morning.

Making her way to the kitchen she opened the fridge and surveyed the contents, picking out milk, butter, cheese, ham and cereal, before moving down to the freezer and pulling out a variety of different breads. Placing it all on the kitchen island and placing out appropriate butter knives, spoons and glasses, she tippy-toed over to her sleeping girlfriend – she did a mental pause at the notion of having Blake as a girlfriend, grinning giddily with joy over her fortune – and gently kissed her on the cheek.

“Wakey wakey, Blakey…” Blake grinned groggily at the wordplay as Ruby whispered in her ear.

* * *

 

“Pass the butter, please?”

Ruby obediently reached over with the box of butter, handing it to Blake with a smile.

“So, Ruby… what’s today’s plans?” Ruby’s spoon stopped halfway up from her cereal, her mouth half-open in anticipation of the next bite. Blinking sliver eyes slowly turned towards Blake. She chuckled nervously.

“Ehehehe… _Actually_ … I didn’t plan this far ahead.” Blake regarded her girlfriend with a sceptical, crooked half-smile.

“We’d better do something about that then. How about… a walk in the park? Maybe pack some food, have a lovely little picnic?” Ruby glanced out through the nearest window.

“Well, it _does_ seem nice outside… all right, I’m in.”

* * *

 

“… Over there, maybe?”

“Those trees will throw a shadow there in a few minutes, might get a bit chilly.”

“Well Blake, _you_ find a better spot then.” Blake chuckled at the play-pouting Ruby and brought her in for a hug with her free arm, kissing her forehead gently. Walking over to the middle of a grassy field, she spread their blanket and positioned her basket in one end. Ruby put her basket down next to Blake’s and quickly laid down on the blanket with a loud sigh.

“Ruby, close your eyes and open your mouth, please.” She looked confusedly at Blake.

“… Why?”

“Just do it.” Ruby shrugged and did as she was instructed. Blake reached into one of the basket and pulled out a cluster of grapes. Gently prying one loose, she leaned over Ruby and plopped it into her mouth.

“Mmm, grapesh. Delishus.” Blake popped a grape into her own mouth and laid down next to Ruby.

“This was a great idea, Blake…”

Blake merely smiled and cuddled up to Ruby, the two girls contently watching the clouds float by in the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the end, Ruby discovered they forgot to pack spreadable honey for her sandwiches. Blake told her it was okay.


	12. Working 9 to 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake does some work, and reaps a reward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, that number won't work. No need to try.

“Blake, may I borrow your cell phone for a while?”

“What? Why?”

“There’s a few things it needs to have to accommodate your new life, now that I’m officially your boss.”

“But what if Ru- _someone_ calls?”

“I have it on the best authority nobody will call you for as long as I need to borrow your phone.”

“And whose ‘authority’ would that be?”

“… _My_ boss.” Blake followed the direction of Summer’s upwards-pointing index finger.

“Ah.” Wordlessly, Blake reached into her coat pocket and handed her phone over to the smiling woman in the doorframe of her cubicle.

* * *

 

The following few days, Blake and Ruby had attempted to spend as much time together as possible – chatting about their day in the break room, Ruby sitting on a folding chair in Blake’s cubicle watching her direct the fielded Reapers when she wasn’t on duty herself, occasionally chatting with the newly Reaped souls being dropped off in the waiting area… all things considered, they had want for nothing.

“So the chief just up and confiscated your phone? That’s weird…” Blake noted on Ruby’s expression she knew a whole lot more about what was going on, but for once the shorter girl didn’t fail in keeping whatever-it-was under wraps.

“Yeah, I thought so too. Guess I’ll just have to _wait and see_...” Ruby chuckled nervously upon registering the “I’m on to you”-tone in Blake’s words and accusatory glance.

“Y-yeah. Pro-probably.” Ruby hastily stuffed another chocolate chip cookie in her mouth, chewing erratically while eyeing Blake warily.

“Probably.” And with that, Blake rose from her hair, disposed of her mug in the dishwasher, and walked back to her cubicle, leaving Ruby alone with her all-too-many secrets.

* * *

 

“HQ to Reaper 47, your customer is two floors up, second office on the right. Sending further details to your DiePod app now.”

“Reaper 47 to HQ, copy.” Blake keyed the shortcut on her keyboard to bring up the soon-to-be-dead man’s details and sent them to Ilia’s receiver. A few moments later, Blake was notified of the successful Reaping and a calculated ETA of 16 minutes to Reaper HQ for drop-off. Sometime later Blake glimpsed the freelance Reaper in the hall arriving with her soul in tow. Acknowledging Blake with a smile and a nod, she sat the soul down in a chair before once again heading out. Blake had almost turned back to her terminal screen when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, Ruby stood beside her.

“Mo-… _Chief_ … wants to see us in her office.”

* * *

 

Striding into the office of Chief Reaper Summer Rose, Blake glanced backwards at Ruby who was grinning excitedly.

_Yep, she knows what’s going down, all right…_

“Have a seat girls.” Summer indicated the two chairs in front of her large mahogany desk, and waited until her guests had sat down before continuing.

“Ruby, I called you here because you wanted to see this.” Summer turned her gaze on Blake.

“Blake, I called you here to return this to you. Please stand up.” She slid Blake’s phone over the desk towards Blake, who gently accepted it and stood up.

“Please dial the number 512-555-0110.” Once again Blake did as instructed.

No sooner had she finished dialling, when suddenly the phone in her hands started to morph into a large, black and purple scythe.

“You might’ve already figured that out by now, but it’s not just our field operatives who carry a scythe.” Summer smiled from under her white hood.

“Since you now officially work for me, I thought it was about time you got yours. To bring the scythe back into its (fully functional, by the way) phone mode, just swipe your thumb over the shaft as if scrolling up on the phone screen.” Blake regarded her scythe in silent awe as Ruby excitedly hugged her from the side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so concludes season 1! So happy! Now to begin thinking about a season 2...
> 
> (I will not apologise for the pun in the chapter summary.)


End file.
